Jol is not ruling out our being in the Euro tournament next year but he seems undecided and reconciled to the fact the it would be through 'Fair Play' rather than the automatic route. http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_manager_martin_jol_admits_club_could_have_another_early_start_next_season_1_1206862 Being in Europe has the obvious advantage of attracting better quality potential new signings - unless you're Ruiz of course who didn't realise he was disqualified. An early start would also give Jol the chance to give young (and new) players experience - an opportunity he failed to take this season. How frustrating though that we haven't got a game to look forward to next Thursday.
I may get hounded for this but I don't want Europa next season, we aren't in a position where we can challenge to win the trophy and it would only hinder our league campaign. I would also rather get in through league placing rather than fair play, it seems so redundant.
I feel next season is one where we should rebuild and consolidate,lets concentrate on the domestic scene. Would be nice to pick up one of the 2 cups.
I'm with you Bandit, I think the Europa League is an unnecessary distraction, I would much rather a good run in the F.A. cup rather than Europa League although having European football can help in trying to sign players. I don't think having Europa League football has helped us at all this season, possibly the opposite.
I really would like another adventure. HOWEVER, it is clear that we need no such distraction in 2012 - We need to move on with the changes MJ has started.
GeraScores has nailed it. I'd love us to have another run at the Europa, whether that's through winning a cup (my first choice, naturally!), league position or the fair-play route. I hope next season isn't the year that we have our next bite at the Europa cherry for all the reasons everyone else has stated. As for Jol failing to give youngsters a chance in Europe, Cottager, who were those veterans Frei, Briggs and Dalla Valle that I remember playing in some of the early qualifiers? Admittedly, Dalla Valle got less of a run out then the other two (largely because he looked less ready when he got his chance), but even so, I think Jol did as much as he could while still trying to make sure we made it through to the gruop stages. I suspect we'd have seen more of the youngsters if we'd ever won a first leg by a convincing enough margin to be safe to experiment in the second. Jol himself commented that because we had almost no pre-season friendlies, it meant he didn't have as much room for trying different people out as he would have liked. Jol isn't perfect and I know that some on this board are against him, but surely we're better than historical revisionism, laying the blame for all the ills of the world at his door. I think he used to work for Northern Rock, by the way, and Royal Bank of Scotland.
True Jol did give some of the youngsters a run out but I think he genuinely wanted to win the competition, unlike say Redknapp who fielded youngsters from day one. Jol probably thought we didn't have the strength in depth to do that so chose to field the usual suspects instead.
Jol gave more than a chance. The youngsters were the ones who got us out of it this year! In any case, I agree with the comments that we need to stay off for a year as we are trying to rebuild the team. Unless is a direct qualification to the group stages I would pass an early start next year as a few players might be in Euro finals and will need some rest.
You would think if the club is going to start to build the Riverside stand this year they wouldn't want the distraction of any early home ties, or having to shift them to another ground. You would think there would be no Home friendlies penciled in, except maybe a game against the likes of Barcelona or Real Madrid to open the stand. In fact knowing Fulham, the building will probably over-run and effect our Premier home fixtures.
If it's away friendlies they're after, I'm quite happy for them to reintroduce the awayday to Bournemouth that happened in two of the last three years. I live walking distance from AFCB's ground.
SBM, you're doing the club a disservice ol son. Tommy Trinder (God Love Him) isn't in charge any more mate. Mac's got it covered.
Haha, that would be awesome - meet and Bandy could have a fight to the death in real life Seriously though, this could never happen as you're all from the internet and are therefore imaginary.
